Passengers want more space, airlines want more seats, so Design Q, the firm that came up with Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class on-board suite, has come up with a double-decker design that looks interesting. Story here. A series of design illustrations is here.
Excerpt: **"The big plus for airlines looking to cut costs in a period of declining passenger numbers and profitability is that the MaxCabin will be cheaper to build and to operate, says Guy. He estimates it will seat 50 per cent more passengers and reduce costs by 30 per cent. The benefits for passengers are faster and safer boarding and exit.
“The main drawback, however, is obvious from images of the prototype. The comfort level is low and even the designer is warning the MaxCabin is intended for short-haul flights up to a maximum of 80 minutes. And it will be a strictly BYO experience as there is not enough room for a trolley to move along the aisles.”**
I can see serious issues with trying to implement that, handicap access. If you can’t get a trolly down an aisle, figure either a walker, crutches or a wheelchair…
I think when they are talking about decreased comfort, they are referring the the sideways facing economy seating at the end of the article.
It does look awfully uncomfortable. But for a short flight? I’d do it if it saved me 30%. But I’m a cheap skate. If it saved me 50% I’d gladly sit on the floor.
As for the business class 2-tier often wondered why nobody has done this in the past. I’ve been on plenty of trains and buses that use a two-tier system to provide room to lay down.
So am I. I first heard about this in the Ask the Pilot column last year. According to that column, Delta Airlines was planning to start installing it on 767 and 777 planes next year. It allows them to cram more seats on the plane, while also being more comfortable for us passengers. If so, it sounds great.
I liked the sleeper bunks from the spacecraft to the cruise planet in The Fifth Element. The “mattress” was a series of cushioned rollers, so you just slid right in. Then the crew did the smart thing and put everyone into a sleep mode. Since we don’t have this yet, how about good free booze or a few bong hits and some cookies.
